Featuring Dr. Charles Parker, professor of economics at Wayne State.
When asked how he’s celebrating his 30th year of teaching at Wayne State College, Dr. Charles “Chuck” Parker’s answer didn’t involve a lot of fanfare or back patting. Parker, a professor of economics at Wayne State, is this week’s focus of the Faculty Spotlight Series.
“Just keeping our students moving forward and helping them achieve their goals is the best kind of celebration I can imagine,” said Parker. “Students who want to embark on a profession in accounting, banking, insurance, stock brokerage, retail management, or marketing, just to name a few professions, can feel confident that Wayne State provides an excellent start for these careers. Plus, many students have started here with an undergraduate degree and have gone on to earn graduate degrees in business or law.”
Parker isn’t just helping current students at Wayne State. He’s helping high school students by coordinating the annual Wildcat Business Invitational competition, which will be held Oct. 8 on campus.
“For more than 30 years, high school students in the region have visited Wayne State to participate in what is now called the Wildcat Business Invitational,” said Parker, a native of Cincinnati. “For some students, this is their first visit to a college campus. Many participants use the event as preparation for state level competitions. It also gives them the chance to meet other students from the region and enjoy a day of academic competition.”
Wayne State’s Department of Business and Economics is among the campus leaders in promoting cooperative education experiences for its students, which means getting an internship or finding that special job couldn’t be easier. Additionally, Wayne State’s online MBA program ranks at the top, so Wayne State has students covered if they’re looking to pursue a master’s degree in business administration after they graduate.
Many Wayne State faculty have working experience as self-employed business owners, business consultants, corporate managers, tax accountants, realtors, lawyers, and certified public accountants, so students aren’t just learning about academic theory, but also about real experiences from those who have worked in the field.
Parker's teaching interests include microeconomics, finance, and law. His research interest lies in antitrust enforcement. He enjoys teaching introductory economics, statistics and MBA courses and has been a faculty advisor to several student organizations on campus.
Parker is serving his ninth year as the faculty athletic representative at Wayne State.
Parker earned his bachelor of arts degree, his master of arts degree, and his Ph.D., all in Economics, from the University of Cincinnati.
Fun Fact: “My dad had seven siblings. He was the sixth son, and his only sister was the seventh child. I, too, have seven siblings. I am the sixth son, and my only sister was the seventh child. When my wife, Karen, delivered a girl as our first child, we knew the streak was broken!”